Tag Archives: half marathon

Seems like just yesterday I was racing IRONMAN, Texas, even though that was almost two years ago. Life threw me a few curve balls through 2015 and 2016, but I am excited to be back in a healthy, active lifestyle and racing again.

I kicked off 2017 with the Big Beach Marathon in Alabama on January 29, 2017. The Big Beach Marathon was the first marathon I ever actually considering quitting. Mile 22 was the infamous mile in which I reached into my FlipBelt, grabbed my phone and texted for a pick up. I got no response from the other end so I kept trudging along. By mile 23 I was upset that I still didn’t get a response and bargained with myself that if I made it to mile 24 that I would go ahead and finish. I ended up finishing. The Big Beach Marathon was indeed my slowest finish time ever, but every once in awhile a humbling experience like that reminds us to be grateful that we can even get out there and complete 26.2 miles.

I followed up the Big Beach Marathon with the Tallahassee Half Marathon a week later. The hilly and beautiful winding course was a welcome change of scenery. I ran the Tallahassee Half Marathon with a friend/coach and catching up on life for 13.1 miles always makes those miles go by a little faster.

30?, 438 Jennifer Bendewish, 823 Maria Matheu

A few other exciting notes for 2017…. I am honored to be representing Complete Nutrition as a Complete Nutrition Tallahassee Athlete for 2017 and a social media influencer for Rose City Triathlon Club. Looking forward to sharing training, travels, adventures, and races this year!

Third time taking on the Tallahassee Marathon (second time taking on the full) and I have yet to show up feeling 100%. I tapered the best I could considering having run New Orleans just two weeks before.

EXPO

The Tallahassee Marathon is a smaller race that brings out about 850 half marathoners and less than 350 marathoners. Hal Higdon was the guest speaker at the EXPO and I believe runners from all around Tallahassee came to the Expo to hear him speak. With two little girls in tow and standing room only to hear Hal Higdon speak, I decided to listen for just a few minutes. There were a few more vendors at the Expo this year and it was great to see and talk to some running buddies I hadn’t seen since last year’s marathon.

I am so grateful for mother-in-law for accompanying me on this trip, for taking great care of me and my girls and making wonderful memories. It would not have been possible without her.

I am so, so, so very glad I decided to a Rock ‘n’ Roll event and it only took me two years of talking about it before I actually did one.

I picked the Rock ‘n’ New Orleans Marathon (#RnRNOLA) for a few reasons. It was close to home (5 hrs driving distance), it was in January, the city is amazing, flat, and full of history, and most importantly it was the week before my birthday. Yes, it is one of my birthday presents to myself.

The trip ended up being a girls trip: my mother-in-law, two munchkins, and me! The Thursday before the trip I had all the symptoms of catching the cold that was making it’s way through my house; no wonder my taper week felt terrible. Continue reading →

My love of running began in the late 1990’s, but it wasn’t until 2011 that I ran my first 5k. Admittedly, it had been a few years since I had run regularly and getting through more than one mile was more than challenging. On top of that, I was also nursing my youngest, who was eight months old at the time.

My finish time would not have passed an Army physical fitness test, but I was overjoyed just to finish. I walked away from this event with a renewed passion for running. Four months later, I found myself in a regular running routine and often surfing the internet looking for local races.

Since May 2011, I have run several 5ks, 10ks, four half marathons, and one full marathon. I have run races with my kids in a double jogging stroller, I have raced dressed up, and I have raced on hot days and races where it was pouring rain. Currently, my favorite distance is half marathon.

More than a year ago, I had a few friends tell me about Half Fanatics and told me to apply. I finally got around to getting my membership application in this week and am anxiously awaiting my Half Fanatics member number. I have qualified for the first level- Neptune (one moon). Am I already looking at races so that I can move up to the next level in the Half Fanatic hierarchy? Of course I am!

In honor of National Running Day I thought I would take a few moments to reflect on my love of running. First off, don’t confuse my love of running with being able to run fast. Being faster than a turtle has never been a goal.

My love of running began just after I graduated high school and happened as a result of snowboarding. After graduation, I moved to a mountain resort to work, play, and be a sponsored snowboarder. During a backcountry hike one day I realized that I did not have the stamina nor the endurance to keep up with the rest of my team. I realized I needed to pick it up a notch and decided on a whim to go for a run with my partner in crime, aka “Gizmo,” the best Siberian Husky that ever lived (so I might be a little biased). That first torturous mile felt good for about 20 steps and the rest of the time I was miserable. The joyful 20 steps kept me coming back for more.

Those 20 joyful steps turned into a regular ritual 3-5 times a week, running for 30 -45 minutes. When I joined the Army, it was during the runs that I found peace, my mind grew quiet, and I would take in the early morning smells, and the sunrises through the trees.

After serving my country I continued to run, but much less often due to school, work demands, and pregnancy. In 2011, I rediscovered my love of running and did my first 5k. Since then, I have run in several 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, one full marathon and discovered triathlon and mud runs.

I have run along the beaches on the Pacific Coast, through the snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, in deserts of Southern California, along the Atlantic Coast in Florida. My running journey has taken me through adventures in Arizona, South Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and Hawaii. During my runs I have seen sunrises, sunsets, bears, deer, elk, rabbits, snakes, dolphins, jellyfish, other runners, famous people, dogs, things that have made me smile and things that have made me cry.

Today, I run to beat the odds that are stacked against me: sickness, failure, and those that expect me to quit. I run to be a role model for my two little girls. I run to find my quiet place. I run to keep my sanity. I run because it is a gift to be able to run. I run because I can.

The night before the Inaugural Run Around the Lakes 5k, I realized I was nervous and a bit anxious. For the past two years, all my 5ks had been run while pushing two little girls, unless the 5k was at then end of a swim and bike. The Run Around the Lakes would be the first time I ran without a stroller and it would be the first time my 4-year-old raced in her first 1 mile Fun Run.

We got off to a pretty easy start on race day. In true skirt day = run day fashion, my munchkins picked out pink tutus and running shoes for race day. The race location was 25 minutes away; with an 8:00 1 Mile Fun Run start and 9:00 5k start we had plenty of time to get there and situate ourselves. Tallahassee mornings in June are warm and humid, and today was no different.

1 Mile Fun Run

OUCH! Yes, this may be one of my slowest times ever, but I am quite proud of myself for running through 9 miles of pain. My right IT band flared up at mile 4, and running up and down hills for the next another 9 miles only aggravated it further. I wore my ever so cute Nathan hydration (insert sarcasm here) belt so I would not have to stop at water stations, this proved to be a smart idea. Had I stopped and walked, there is no way I could have gotten my right leg to start moving again.

A running club member who came out to run in the Color Dash (which I had hoped to join her in) was on a school bus with other Color Dashers at the 9 mile mark. She saw me running by and stuck her head out of the window to cheer me on. I was inspired to keep pounding the pavement and finish the HM.